New Delhi: The deaths of several residents of an Indore colony, linked to consumption of water contaminated by sewage, has drawn criticism from not just the Opposition, but also prominent leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti Friday expressed anger over the deaths and questioned the state’s leadership over their failure to address the issue.
Bharti said the incident, which sickened hundreds of Bhagirathpura residents in Indore, was a matter of “shame” for the state and a crucial test of CM Mohan Yadav’s leadership.
“The deaths due to drinking contaminated water in Indore by the end of the year, 2025, have shamed and disgraced our state, our government, and our entire system,” she said in a series of posts on X.
Bharti, a former Union minister, also pointed to the irony of Indore being touted as India’s cleanest city in central government’s Swachh Bharat rankings. “Such ugliness, filth and poisoned water has swallowed so many lives and continues to do so…” she wrote.
Further, the BJP leader slammed the state government for announcing Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the families of those who died due to suspected contamination.
“Severe atonement must be made for this sin. An apology must be sought from the affected people, and maximum punishment must be given to all the culprits from bottom to top. This is a testing time for Mr Mohan Yadav,” she said.
In another post, Bharti said “not only the mayor of Indore, but the government and administration of MP”, among others responsible for this “maha paap” are in the dock for their “crime against the public”.
It isn’t unusual for Bharti to criticise her party-led MP government. In July last year, she had raised questions against the MP Crime Branch, asking how her name could be connected to the “Vyapam” scam. Months earlier, she targeted her party’s government over its excise policy.
On Friday, others within the BJP shared Bharti’s concerns, though they haven’t publicly spoken against the party.
“We have completely mismanaged the entire issue. We should have been at the forefront in providing relief and facilities to the victims and the families affected by it. Every other day, MP is in the news, but for all the wrong reasons. Governance has completely collapsed,” a senior BJP leader said, requesting anonymity.
Another party functionary said the state government needs to focus on governance and ensuring that the schemes are implemented properly and swiftly. “There has to be a mechanism in place, so that issues raised by party workers are taken up and acted upon. They are the ones who are connected with the public,” the functionary said.
The state government has been facing flak over its response to the suspected contamination deaths.
State Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya earlier this week courted controversy over allegedly using a derogatory term, when asked by a journalist about Bhagirathpura residents getting contaminated water. He was visiting the locality at the time.
Vijayvargiya, the MLA from Indore-1 constituency, later posted on X that his team has been working continuously to resolve the issue. “…My words came out wrong in response to a media question. For this, I express my regret,” he wrote.
So far, nine people have died after being hospitalised with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration and high fever. Indore officials have said that the drinking water supply line was contaminated by sewage from a leaking line.
Till Thursday, about 200 people were hospitalised, of which over two dozen were in intensive-care.
Meanwhile, the Indore district administration has deployed teams for door-to-door medical screening of households in Bhagirathpura, and is supplying water via tankers. CM Yadav also visited a hospital to meet the medical staff and those admitted there.
(Edited by Prerna Madan)